Double skirt sheath dress

ABSTRACT

A SHEATH DRESS FABRICATED FROM A SINGLE PIECE OF FABRIC. THE SKIRT PORTION IS FORMED OF TWO LAYERS OF FABRIC, EITHER ONE OF WHICH CAN DEFINE THE EXTERIOR OF THE DRESS. A METHOD FOR CUTTING OUT AND FABRICATING THE DRESS.

United States Negherbon June 28, 1974 DOUBLE SKIRT SHEATH DRESS [76] inventor: Ann C. Negherbon, 2431 Leslie Ave., Martinez, Calif. 94553 22 Filed: June 26,1972

2| Appl.No.:266,007

[52] US. Cl. 2/74, 2/DlG. 2, 2/243 R [51] Int. Cl A4ld 1/22 [58] Field of Search 2/74, 75, 73, 243 R, DIG. 2

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/l970 King 2/DIG. 2

Primary Examiner-H. Hamton Hunter Atmrne Agent, or FirmTownsend and Townsend [57] ABSTRACT A sheath dress fabricated from a single piece of fabric. The skirt portion is formed of two layers of fabric, either one of which can define the exterior of the dress. A method for cutting out and fabricating the dress.

1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEUJuu 28 1914 SHEET 2 BF 2 FIG-4 FIG 6 DOUBLE SKIRT SHEATII DRESS This invention relates to a double skirt sheath dress and more particularly to such dress formed from a single piece of fabric and arranged so that either one of two portions of the dress define the external surface area of the dress.

An object of the present invention is to provide a dress and a pattern therefore that is extremely simple, to the end that the dress can be constructed by those with little or no sewing experience. Achievement of this object is made possible because the dress is formed of a single piece of rectangularly shaped fabric that requires minimum cutting out and sewing.

Another objectof the invention is to provide a dress that has two identical tubular'portions either one of which can form the outer part of the garment, i.e. either part of the garment exposed to view. This object is achieved by providing a garment having two tubular portions on opposite ends thereof which can be interchangeably inserted in one another so that either end can form either the inner layer of the garment or the outer layer of the garment. A feature and advantage of achievement of this object is that a clean outer surface can be presented merely by reversing the two tubular portions.

A feature and advantage of a double sheath dress is that the two layers together are substantially opaque whereby the necessity for slips or like under garments is obviated.

A feature and advantage of the simplicity with which a dress according to the present invention can be constructed is that it can be made, even by those of little or no sewing experience, in adult sizesor childsizes or any intermediate sizes without requiring a different sized pattern.

Still another object of the'present invention is to provide an article of apparel that is extremely simple to launder and press. This object is accomplished by the present invention because the article can be pressed in a flat condition before being folded into a condition for wearing. v

The foregoing together with other objects, features and advantages will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and accompanying drawings in whichi FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a dress according to the invention on a human form;

FIG. 2 is a view of one face, either rear or front, of the dress;

FIG. 3 is a view of the other face, either front or rear, of the dress and showing a modification;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a piece of material used to form the dress that has been cut out;

FlG.-5 is a view of the dress flattened and after it has been sewn or otherwise fastened into final form; and

FIG. 6 is a view of the dress in a partially folded or assembled condition.

Referring more particularly to the drawing reference numeral 12 (FIG. 4) indicates a piece of fabric having a rectangular outline shape. The fabric has end edges 14 and side edges 16. Preferably the piece of fabric is selected so that the side edges 16 are the selvage of the fabric so that no hemming is required. The broken lines in FIG. 4 that are parallel with end edges 14 designate hems and the overall length of the fabric, that is the distance from one end edge 14 to the other end edge is longitudinal and transverse center of the piece of fabric 12, is a neck opening 18 which is cut to a diameter appropriate to permit entry of a head therethrough. After the circle for neck opening 18 is cutout, the margin of the opening is folded over and hemmed, as is conventional. In FIG. 4 there is shown an imaginary axis 20 of longitudinal symmetry and an imaginary axis 22 of transverse symmetry, and in cutting neck opening 18 it is preferable to first fold the fabric along one or both of the axes of symmetry before cutting.

At side edges 16 at the longitudinal center of the piece of fabric 12 are generally arcuate side cutouts 24 which are identical and which intersect respective side edges 16 at comers designated as 26a, 26b, 28a, and 28b. Arcuate cutouts 24 are identical to one another and are symmetrical with respect to axis 20 for reasons that will appear subsequently. It will be noted that between the periphery of neck opening 18 and the central regions of arcuate cutouts 24 are defined shoulder covering portions 30.-A typical distance between the central portions of opposite arcuate cutouts 24 is about 15 inches and a typical width for shoulder covering portions 30 is 2 3 inches which dimensions can be altered in accordance with the size dress desired and which dimensions are readily measured by even the inexperienced sewer. It is desirable, after arcuate cutouts 24 are cut out, to hem the margins thereof.

The final step in constructing a dress according to the invention is joining at least comers 26a and 28a together and corners 26b and 28b together. A single fastener, indicated in FIG. 3 by a button 32 fastened adjacent to comer 28a and a cooperating buttonhole (not shown) formed adjacent to corner 26a, suffices. Alternately, and as shown in FIG. 5, the entire lengths of side edges 16 can be sewn along seams indicated at 34 and 36 in the figure. The completed garment as seen in FIG. 5 thus comprises a torso encircling tubular portion 38 at one end, an identical torso encircling tubular portion 40 at the other end, and a waist portion 42 intermediate-the two end tubular portions.

Although the dress of the present invention can be made from a. pattern, it can also be made without a pattern from measurements taken from the form that the dress is to fit. In order to determine the width of the rectangular piece of fabric 12 required, the maximum peripheral dimension of the form is measured. This is typically the hip region of the form. The width of the material should exceed such maximum peripheral dimension by an amount sufficient to permit formation of a seam. The length of the rectangular piece of material 12 is determined by measuring the distance from the shoulder of the wearer down to a point on the legs of the wearer where itis desired that the dress extend. The length of the rectangular piece of material is then made equal to twice such distance plus an appropriate allowance for formation of the seam on either end of the material. The diameter of neck opening 18 is determined by measuring the maximum periphery of the head of the wearer, and such distance is then converted to a diameter by dividing such periphery by 3.14. The neck opening is cut symmetrical of axes 20 and 22. The outline of arcuate cutout 24 is determined by first measuring the shoulder width of the form to establish the center or innermost point of the cutout. The location of the outer extremes of the arcuate cutout, e.g. corner 26a,

is determined by measuring from the shoulder of the form down'to the small of the back and laying out such V with: respectto 20.7 1

Thus itwill-be Tseenthat the present invention pro- 7 measurement longitudinally from axis 20. Corners26b; 28a, and. 28b are layed'out in the same manner to thew end that cutouts 24 willbe symmetrical with boththe V longitudinal and transverse axes. An arcuate or gener ally arcuate line is then layed out so as to intersect the inner point and the comers. After the cutouts are made along such line and hemmed, vcorner 26a is joined to corner 28a and corner 26b is joined to corner 28b whereupon the dress is complete;

To prepare the garment for wearing attention is invited to FIG. 6. Tubular portion 38 is opened by lifting,

. arcuate edge portion 24, and then tubular portion 40. is inserted interior of tubular portion 38; Tubular por-- tion 40 is inserted into tubular portion 38 until the two edges 14 coincide with one another, whereupon the dresswill appear as indicated in FIGS. 1 3. The dress is donned by inserting the head into the interior oftubular portion 40 which resides interior of tubular porwearer. ln FlGfl it will be noticedthat arcuateedge24 of tubular portion 38 is in'the front so as to expose waist portion 42 in the frontsT he dress can'also be worn in the reverse positionso that'waist portion 42is exposed in'the rear whereupon the front will appear as shown in FIG: 2.

It will be appreciated that should tubularportion 38 vides a dress that isextremely simple to make in virtuf ally anyde sired size and achieves theiavantages that have been set forth hereinabove. More specifically the dress permits quick reversal so that either one of the tubular portions can define the exterior surface of the I dress so that a clean appearance is presented without laundering. Moreover the dress is simple to launder and press because when layed out in the position shown in FIG. 5 it is substantially flat.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been l. A method of forming a double sheath'dress for a human form comprising the steps of providing a rectangular piece of fabric having a width at least as long as the maximum periphery of thehuman .form and a 7 length at least as longastwice the shoulderto thighdimensionof the human form, determining the longitudinal center line of the piece,formin-gaa neck opening symmetric'of thevcenterline and midway of the width of thepiece, cutting along a'generally arcuate line sym+ metricof the center line twogenerally semi-cylindric cutouts that intersect the side edgesof the piece to sides of the center line to one another to form first and second oppositely directed tubular portions, and inserta ing one of the said tubular portions into the other of the become soiled, the dresscan be unfolded and tubular portion 38 can be inserted into tubular portion 40 whereupon the latter tubular portion will define theex terior surface of the dress. This is possible because the.

dress accordingto the present invention is symmetrical form corners, fastening pairs of corners on opposite said tubular portions until the said'tubular portions sub stantially coincide so that the coinciding tubular por-t tions can be drawn over the head and body of the wearer to don the article of wearing apparel.

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